Iraqveteran8888 and the KGB Mosin Nagant

The Mosin Nagant can trace its roots back to 1891, and it’s a rifle with a group of seriously dedicated fans. One model in particular whose history has been described as “murky” “cloudy” and “shrouded in mystery” by various Mosin aficionados is the 1891/59 model. The 91/59 is a carbine version of the 91/30, and the debate surrounding them is whether or not they were manufactured in Bulgaria for use by the Soviets for an impending invasion by we, the Westerners. There is certainly evidence to support the carbine’s Bulgarian roots, and now Eric of Iraqveteran8888 fame has taken it on in his new YouTube video, “The KGB Mosin Nagant.”

Katie is an avid shooter, hunter, military journalist, and Southern girl. Firearms are her passion whether at the range or on a spot-and-stalk after a big buck. She’s a staff writer at The Firearm Blog and writes about guns, hunting, and the military for various publications both online and in print such as Outdoor Life, Handguns, and Shooting Illustrated. Shoot her a message at ainsworth.kat@usa.com

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Dave C

KGB?… BS

A “bare nekkid MO-syn raffle…” Lessee, here… Boy, I’ll tell ya what, seems to me that findin’ a Rooshin raffle with markings or whithout’em, would not really discombobulate or hide the Commie Rooshin origins of the gun…. How ’bout them there AK forty-sevens from the Coweld War?

I had always heard the prevailing theory about the M1891/30/59 was that they served as a labor project to keep people doing something and it had the side benefit of converting M91/30’s into a handier weapon for very little expenditure.

I had sort of hoped it was referring to the NKVD Dynamo 2/3 rifles, those are cool.

milesfortis

Having read multiple stories from former inhabitants of the worker’s paradise, I tend to agree with you.
I have one of these little buggers. Nothing much more than a NOS 91/30 chopped to a M38.

iksnilol

I presume the barrel leftovers could be used for SMG barrels, or at least pistol barrels?

milesfortis

Probably not as there’s not enough “meat” on that end of the barrel.

And, doing so, even if possible, would mean cutting into the production numbers of Ivan’s barrel manufacturing plants. Not good for Comrade Barrel Borer’s morale you know.

iksnilol

What’s a dynamo rifle?

Edward Franklin

A short run of M1891’s and 91 Dragoons built up by the NKVD Dynamo shooting facility, sort of the grandmother of all the later scoped Mosin Nagants. Fitted with Zeiss optics, little info about them suggests they ended up being used to ‘silence’ subversive elements in their later days.

Ben

it looked like a plane M-38 carbine to me.

Just say’n

The other theory is they are recently cut-down 91-30s since M44s and M38s go for about 2X the price of a 91-30.

Trey

Mine was bought back when 38’s and 44’s were still cheap, I just wanted it because it was a bit different. The Soviets and by extension the Warsaw pact nations pretty much did not throw anything away that might be needed in the next war (being caught under armed in 2 World wars will do that)

Note the huge Numbers of surplus Warsaw Pact stuff that came over in the 90’s

It of couse was not just rifles, the T-55 was still in use as a 3rd line tank for the Red Army in the late 8o’s

Don Ward

In other words, a Russkie equivalent of a Mitchell Mauser.

TJbrena

I was hoping this referred to the OTs-48 and 48K, bullpup conversions of surplus 91/30s that are in limited use by Russian LEOs.

Dolphy

The Mosin is a Russian design. Sergei Ivanovich Mosin submitted his design for a 30 cal rifle to the competition in 1890. His rifle won the competition, but Leon Nagant whined and threatened to sue, so they added a small part to the magazine system of the Mosin rifle, called it the Mosin-Nagant, and made that the new rifle. Nagant’s only contribution was the interruptor, and the Mosin can still work just fine without that.